Golf putting training system

ABSTRACT

A golf putting training system for a golfer is disclosed generally comprising a linear measurement device that is placed on the ground such that a golf ball is placed at one end and a stopper for engaging a putting head is positioned along the measurement device at a desired distance from the ball. A golfer putts the golf ball, taking a backswing that moves the putter head to the surface of the stopper prior to accelerating towards the ball. The golfer then compares the distance between the end of the measurement device and the stopper to the distance between the end of the measurement device and the final destination of the golf ball. In this way, the golfer can calculate a backswing-to-putt ratio to quickly determine the required backswing distance for any desired putt distance for a given stroke acceleration rate.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system for training a golfer to putt.More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus and method fortraining a golfer to more accurately gauge the backswing required toachieve a particular putt distance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the game of golf is to minimize the amount ofstrokes it takes in order to put the golf ball in a number of holesaround a golf course. One of the most frustrating aspects of golf can beputting, where the golfer is generally within thirty feet of the holeand uses a particular type of club, known as a putter, to try to knockthe ball in. Often, this particular portion of the game cansignificantly add to the total number of strokes for a given hole.

It has been reported by many golf experts that a golfer will typicallyuse his putter more than any other club in his golf bag when playing around of golf. Many skilled golfers report that they may employ theirputter for anywhere between thirty and forty percent of their golfstrokes in any given game. Most golfers have long recognized that toimprove their overall game, a focused concentration on their puttingskills is very important. For example, one of the common mistakestypically committed by many golfers is a failure to keep the face of theputter perpendicular to the line of travel of the putter throughout theentire stroke.

Accordingly, in order to reduce the number of strokes needed whenputting, various training techniques have been employed. These trainingsystems can be used alone, for self improvement, or with the assistanceof a professional golf instructor. In particular, a major problemencountered in perfecting the game of golf is the development ofconsistency in a golfer's putting stroke. Since putting can be practicedon a smaller area than is required for practicing other golf shots,numerous practice devices have been developed so that the golfer canrepetitively practice putting in order to improve the consistency of hisstroke.

Such practice units come in various forms. One general type of systemthat has been proposed are devices that are intended to replicate alimited region of the putting area, which typically include sideboundaries and targets or simulated holes. One version of such a systemis disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,939,238 to Brayton.However, one significant problem associated with these types of devicesis that the lengths of the putts that can be practiced on them remainsubstantially constant. Of course, during the game of golf, putts ofvarious lengths are routinely required, and thus, practicing one'sputting stroke for only a specific distance or limited range ofdistances is of little value to a golfer. Additionally, such systemstend to be somewhat cumbersome and not all that portable.

Another general type of system that has been proposed are devices thatare designed to be placed on a practice surface and include some sort ofstructure for positioning and/or guiding the putter. One version of sucha system is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,921,341 to Portet al. However, these systems, too, are typically rather large andcumbersome, take time to assemble, and/or cannot be conveniently storedwhen not in use.

The need for such complex training devices can be avoided byestablishing a fairly regular rate of swing acceleration, which can bepracticed and learned without the use of any training devices, and thenemploying a system that trains a golfer to estimate distances. The maindifficulty that casual golfers encounter is that they are unable toremember how hard to hit the ball. Unless a person is putting every day,the vast array of putting distances, as well as environmental factors,such as green speeds, make it difficult to estimate how hard the ballmust be hit for a given putt.

Accordingly, as mentioned above, one can first establish a fairlyregular rate of acceleration without the assistance of training aids.For example, one can repeatedly place a golf ball between the tips ofone's finger and take practice swings, releasing and watching the ballwith each such swing, in order to establish a regular and consistentpattern. Once the golfer has established a standard rate ofacceleration, all that remains—presuming the other aspects of form, suchas arm and wrist position, remain constant—is how much backswing totake. Therefore, by enabling a golfer to quickly adjudge the amount ofbackswing necessary for each putt, he or she is much better able togauge how “hard” to hit the golf ball.

What is desired, therefore, is a golf putting training system that willallow a golfer to improve the accuracy of his or her putting stroke.What is further desired is a golf putting training system that willallow a golfer to easily determine how to adjust his or her puttingstroke for any required putting distance. What is also desired is a golfputting training system that is not cumbersome or difficult to assembleor transport.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a golfputting training system that involves a few, small parts.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a golfputting training system that can be easily moved from one location toanother.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a golfputting training system that enables a golfer to determine the amount ofbackswing required for different desired distances.

In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and to achieve atleast some of the objects and advantages listed, the invention comprisesa golf putting training system for a golfer, including placing a linearmeasurement device on the ground, placing a golf ball at an end of themeasurement device, positioning on said measurement device a stopperhaving a stopping surface for engaging a putter head of a putter,examining the measurement device to determine the distance between theend of the device and the stopping surface of the stopper, putting thegolf ball to a destination with the putter head using a backswing thatmoves the putter head to the stopping surface of the stopper,determining the distance from the end of the measurement device to thedestination of the golf ball, and determining a backswing-to-putt ratioby comparing the determined distance between the end of the device andthe stopping surface of the stopper and the determined distance from theend of the measurement device to the destination of the golf ball.

In some of these embodiments, the invention further includes positioninga guide member adjacent to the linear measurement device such that theguide member extends substantially parallel to the measurement device toguide the motion of the putter head along the measurement device duringthe putting step.

In certain of these embodiments, the invention also includes repeatingthe steps of placing a golf ball at one end of the measurement device,putting the golf ball, and determining the distance from the end of themeasurement device to the ball destination a plurality of times, whereinthe step of determining the backswing-to-putt ratio comprisesdetermining the average distance from the end of the measurement deviceto the ball destination, and comparing the distance between the end ofthe device and the stopping surface of the stopper to the averagedistance from the end of the measurement device to the ball destination.

In some of these embodiments, the invention further includes placing themeasurement device on the ground of a golf course, repeating the stepsof placing a golf ball at one end of the measurement device, positioningthe stopper on the measurement device, putting the golf ball, anddetermining the distance from the end of the measurement device to theball destination on the golf course, determining a second ratio bycomparing the determined distance between the end of the device and thestopping surface of the stopper on the golf course and the determineddistance from the end of the measurement device to the destination ofthe golf ball on the golf course, and comparing the backswing-to-puttratio with the second ratio to determine a factor by which to adjust thebackswing-to-putt ratio to account for golf course conditions.

In certain embodiments, the invention also includes using a ball linerto mark an alignment line on the golf ball, the step of putting includesstriking the golf ball with a face of the putter head, wherein theputter head has an alignment line transverse to the face of the putterhead, the measurement device has an alignment line thereon, the step ofplacing a golf ball at an end of the measurement device includesaligning the alignment line on the golf ball with the alignment line onthe measurement device, and the step of putting includes keeping thealignment line on the putter head aligned with the alignment line on themeasurement device.

In some of these embodiments, the step of putting includes wearing awrist retention device to prevent flicking of the wrist, while in someembodiments, the step of putting includes using an arm separation deviceto prevent changes in arm position.

In another embodiment, the invention comprises a golf putting trainingsystem for a golfer, including a measuring strip for measuring distancefrom a golf ball, a stopper having a stopping surface for obstructinglongitudinal motion of a putter head along the strip, the stopper havinga connector for detachably affixing the stopper to the strip at adesired distance from the golf ball, a guide member having a guidingsurface that extends substantially parallel to the measuring strip whenpositioned adjacent the strip for guiding longitudinal motion of theputter head along the strip.

In some of these embodiments, the strip comprises a metallic ruler, andthe connector comprises at least one magnet. In certain embodiments, thestrip has a golf ball end having a width, further comprising a visualreference connected to the golf ball end of the strip to help a golfersquare the putting head, the visual reference having a width larger thanthe width of the strip, and the guide member has a bottom surface, thebottom surface having a recess for receiving part of the visualreference.

In certain of these embodiments, the invention further includes aputter. In some of these embodiments, the putter includes a putter headhaving a face for striking the golf ball and an alignment line thatextends transverse to the face of the putter head, and in some cases,the invention also includes a golf ball liner for marking at least onealignment line on the golf ball. Additionally, in some embodiments, themeasuring strip includes an alignment line extending along the length ofthe strip for visually connecting the alignment line on the putter headwith an alignment line on the golf ball.

In some embodiments, the invention further includes a training accessorycomprising at least one of a golf ball liner, a wrist retention device,an arm separation device, a balance board, a putting rope, and apractice hole disc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a golf putting training system inaccordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is isometric view showing additional detail of the golf puttingtraining system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of a golfer using the golf putting training systemof FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the golfer of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the golf putting training system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6A is a top plan view of the stopper of the golf putting trainingsystem of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6B is a side view of the stopper of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6C is a bottom view of the stopper of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a training kit with the golf trainingsystem of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The basic components of one embodiment of a golf putting training systemin accordance with the invention are illustrated in FIG. 1. As used inthe description, the terms “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below,” “over,”“under,” “above,” “beneath,” “on top,” “underneath,” “up,” “down,”“upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “back,” “forward” and “backward”refer to the objects referenced when in the orientation illustrated inthe drawings, which orientation is not necessary for achieving theobjects of the invention.

A training system 10 includes a linear measurement device 20, which maybe a strip with indicia indicative of length, such as a ruler, and astopper 22 positionable along the measurement strip 20. The stopper 22has a stopping surface 24 for engaging the face of a putter head, andthe stopper 22 is positionable anywhere along the strip 20 to establishparticular desired backswing distances. When using the system 10, a golfball 30 is placed at a golf ball end 32 of the strip 20, and a user caneasily determine the distance between the ball 30 and the surface 24 ofthe stopper 22 by simply examining the measurement strip 20.

In certain advantageous embodiments, a visual reference 34 is connectedto the golf ball end 32 of the measuring strip 20. The visual reference34 has a width greater than the width of the strip 20, which helps agolfer square the putting head of a putter (shown more clearly in FIG.5). A guide member 40 is positioned adjacent the measuring strip 20 andruns substantially parallel thereto, thereby serving as a guide for theputter head as it is moved along the strip 20, as is further explainedbelow. In some embodiments, the guide member 40 has a recess 42, whichpermits the member 40 to firmly stand on its bottom edge and alsoaccommodate part of the visual reference 34.

As shown more clearly in FIG. 2, the stopper 22 includes a connector 26for detachably affixing the stopper 22 to the strip 20. In certainadvantageous embodiments, the strip is a metallic ruler 20, and theconnector is at least one magnet, such as, for example, a series ofembedded magnets 26 or, as another example, a magnetic strip 28 adheredto the bottom of the stopper 22, as is shown in FIG. 6C.

As shown in FIGS. 3-5, a golfer 46 places the strip 20 on the ground,which may be any location where it is convenient for the golfer topractice his or her putting technique, such as, for example, one'sbackyard or the floor of one's bedroom. Accordingly, it should be notedthe term “ground” as used herein refers to any such ground or floorsurface, and does not necessarily imply that such surface is locatedoutdoors. The guide member 40 is placed on the ground adjacent the strip20. If the strip 20 includes a visual reference 34, the edge of thereference 34 is positioned within the recess 42 of the guide member 40.

The golfer 46 places a golf ball at the end of the strip 20, andpositions the stopper 22 on the strip 20 at a desired distance from thegolf ball, which can be determined simply by examining the indiciarepresentative of length on the surface of the measuring strip 20. Thestopper 22 is positioned on the strip 20 such that it abuts the guidemember 40, and is secured to the strip 20.

The golfer 46 then stands adjacent the measuring strip 20, and holds aputter 62 such that the putter head 64 is adjacent or abutting the golfball. The golfer 46 then putts the golf ball, taking a backswing thatbrings the putter head 64 into light contact with the stopping surface24 of the stopper 22, which is held in place by the magnets 26, beforeaccelerating forward to strike the golf ball. The golfer 46 thendetermines the distance from the end of the measuring strip 20 to thefinal destination of the golf ball. This may be done by using ameasuring device, such as a tape measure, or by simply eyeballing thedistance. Alternatively, a practice hole disc 60 (shown in FIG. 7) maybe placed at a certain desired distance from the measuring strip 20prior to taking practice strokes.

The golfer 46 then determines a backswing-to-putt ratio by comparing thedistance between the golf ball end 32 and the stopping surface 24 andthe distance from the golf ball end 32 to the final destination of thegolf ball. In this way, the golfer is easily able to tell theapproximate backswing required to travel any desired distance using hisor her standard rate of accelerating the putter 62. In some cases, thegolfer 46 repeats this process a number of times and determines anaverage distance between the end of the strip 20 and the golf ball'sfinal destination, and then uses this average to calculate thebackswing-to-putt ratio. Similarly, the stopper 22 can be positioned atdifferent distances along the strip 20 in order to determine an averageratio using these different distances.

If the golfer would like to further refine the backswing-to-putt ratioto account for particular golf course conditions, the golfer cantransport the above described system to a golf course, and can thenrepeat the above process to calculate a second ratio. By assessing thedifference between the first backswing-to-putt ratio and this secondratio, the golfer can determine a factor by which to adjust the requiredbackswing distances necessary to achieve desired putt distances.

As previously noted, the ability to accurately determine the requiredbackswing for a particular distance once a regular rate of accelerationis established is best effected when other factors related to form aremaintained constant. Accordingly, various additional training devicesmay be employed in conjunction with above the described system in orderto further improve style and consistency.

For example, one such device that may be employed in order to facilitatethe golfer's ability to keep the putter head straight during the strokeis a ball marking device 70, sometimes referred to as a “spot liner.” Anexample of such a device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,223 toNewcomb, the specification of which is hereby incorporated herein byreference. By using this type of device, alignment lines 72 may beplaced on the golf ball to serve as a visual aid for the golfer.Similarly, a corresponding alignment line 74 may be employed on theputter head 64, such that the golfer 46 can align the putter head withthe golf ball during the putting stroke. A corresponding alignment line76 may also be employed on the strip 20 to further assist in thiscontinuous alignment. This alignment line may, for example, comprise a 4mm thick red stripe in order to enable easy alignment. Additionally, theguide member 40, which runs substantially parallel to the strip 20,further serves to help keep the putter head 64 square throughout thestroke.

Additionally, position and form are very important in golf for achievingan accurate stroke. When swinging a golf club, particularly duringputting and chipping, the desired position is one in which the arms forman approximate triangular formation with respect to the golf club. Sucha position enables the larger muscles of the upper arm, back andshoulders, not the muscles of the wrist and forearm, to be usedthroughout a putting stroke. Unfortunately, what commonly happens isthat a golfer uses the smaller muscles of the wrist and forearm whenputting, which produces bad results caused by the forward wrist breakingdown in the putt.

Therefore, various devices for facilitating proper form may bebeneficially employed with the above described device. For example, itis important for there to be a constant angle of the golfer's rear armin relation to the putter in order to develop consistency. The abilityto keep a constant angle of the arm to the putter during each putt isdifficult when there is no guide to determine differences in the angle.Therefore, it is often advantageous to use a wrist retention device 80,such as the J-hook member described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,516 toBickler, the specification of which is hereby incorporated herein byreference. Such a device, which is illustrated in FIG. 7, will typicallyhave one portion 82 that engages the putter handle and/or hook into thetop of the putter and another portion 84 that engages the wrist in orderto limit a certain angling of the wrist with respect to the putterhandle. This type of training device forces the user to employ executionof proper technique by requiring that the golfer maintain a consistentarm-to-putter angle, thereby reinforcing a “muscle memory” that willcontinue to maintain the proper angle even when the device is not beingused. Similarly, devices that engage both wrists of the golfer, such asthat disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,146 to Viets, may also be used.

Similarly, various devices may be employed with the above describeddevice in order to help the golfer maintain the generally triangularform. A number of arm separation devices exist to help ensure that thearms stay straight and a certain distance from one another throughoutthe swing, such as, for example, the devices described in U.S. Pat. No.6,358,146 to Moran and U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,189 to Schultz. Generally,such devices utilize a mechanism for engaging both arms of the golferand thereby define and maintain the triangle between the shoulders, armsand putter grip. An example of such a device 86 is also illustrated inFIG. 7, which includes two U-shaped members 88 for engaging the arms anda ratchet mechanism 90 for establishing the particular distance betweenthe arms of a particular golfer. This will force the golfer to maintainthe position of his or her arms during the stroke, shown in FIG. 4.

Additionally, a balancing device may be employed, such as the device 92shown in FIG. 7, often referred to as a balance board. This deviceconsists of a wide board on which the golfer stands, with a thin beam 94on the bottom thereof. When the golfer stands on the board 92, as shownin FIGS. 3-4, the board 92 forces the golfer 46 to maintain a properequilibrium, preventing the golfer from leaning too far forward orbackward during the golf stroke.

In some cases, it is advantageous for the golfer to use a rope 96, shownin FIG. 7, to create a “one putt zone”. The rope 96, which is generallyabout six feet long, has a first looped end for slipping over a flagpole, and a second looped end for creating a carpenter's chalk line,sweeping out a six foot radius around the hole. The golfer can thenpractice a variety of putts, both with and without the measurementdevice 20, inside the one putt zone created in this fashion.

Because all of these devices can prove useful in helping a golferimprove his or her putting game, the training system may include any ofvarious assortments of these accessories. For instance, a basic kit mayinclude, for example, the measuring strip 20, stopper 22, and guidemember 40, as well as a ball marker 70 and practice hole discs 60, whilean advanced kit may, for example, further include a wrist retentiondevice 80, an arm separation device 86, a balance board 92, a puttingrope 96, and a putter 62.

It should be understood that the foregoing is illustrative and notlimiting, and that obvious modifications may be made by those skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly,reference should be made primarily to the accompanying claims, ratherthan the foregoing specification, to determine the scope of theinvention.

1. A golf putting training system for a golfer, comprising the steps of:placing a linear measurement device on the ground; placing a golf ballat an end of the measurement device; positioning on said measurementdevice a stopper having a stopping surface for engaging a putter head ofa putter; examining the measurement device to determine the distancebetween the end of the device and the stopping surface of the stopper;putting the golf ball to a destination with the putter head using abackswing that moves the putter head to the stopping surface of thestopper; determining the distance from the end of the measurement deviceto the destination of the golf ball; and determining a backswing-to-puttratio by comparing the determined distance between the end of the deviceand the stopping surface of the stopper and the determined distance fromthe end of the measurement device to the destination of the golf ball.2. The training system of claim 1, further comprising the step ofpositioning a guide member adjacent to the linear measurement devicesuch that the guide member extends substantially parallel to themeasurement device to guide the motion of the putter head along themeasurement device during the putting step.
 3. The training system ofclaim 1, further comprising: repeating the steps of placing a golf ballat one end of the measurement device, putting the golf ball, anddetermining the distance from the end of the measurement device to theball destination a plurality of times; wherein the step of determiningthe backswing-to-putt ratio comprises determining the average distancefrom the end of the measurement device to the ball destination, andcomparing the distance between the end of the device and the stoppingsurface of the stopper to the average distance from the end of themeasurement device to the ball destination.
 4. The training system ofclaim 1, further comprising the steps of: placing the measurement deviceon the ground of a golf course; repeating the steps of placing a golfball at one end of the measurement device, positioning the stopper onthe measurement device, putting the golf ball, and determining thedistance from the end of the measurement device to the ball destinationon the golf course; determining a second ratio by comparing thedetermined distance between the end of the device and the stoppingsurface of the stopper on the golf course and the determined distancefrom the end of the measurement device to the destination of the golfball on the golf course; and comparing the backswing-to-putt ratio withthe second ratio to determine a factor by which to adjust thebackswing-to-putt ratio to account for golf course conditions.
 5. Thetraining system of claim 1, further comprising the step of using a ballliner to mark an alignment line on the golf ball.
 6. The training systemof claim 5, wherein the step of putting includes striking the golf ballwith a face of the putter head, wherein the putter head has an alignmentline transverse to the face of the putter head.
 7. The training systemof claim 6, wherein: the measurement device has an alignment linethereon; the step of placing a golf ball at an end of the measurementdevice includes aligning the alignment line on the golf ball with thealignment line on the measurement device; and the step of puttingincludes keeping the alignment line on the putter head aligned with thealignment line on the measurement device.
 8. The training system ofclaim 1, wherein the step of putting includes wearing a wrist retentiondevice to prevent flicking of the wrist.
 9. The training system of claim1, wherein the step of putting includes using an arm separation deviceto prevent changes in arm position.
 10. The training system of claim 1,wherein: the linear measurement device comprises a metallic ruler; andthe stopper includes at least one magnet for detachably affixing thestopper to the ruler.
 11. A golf putting training system for a golfer,comprising: a measuring strip for measuring distance from a golf ball; astopper having a stopping surface for obstructing longitudinal motion ofa putter head along said strip, said stopper having a connector fordetachably affixing said stopper to said strip at a desired distancefrom the golf ball; a guide member having a guiding surface that extendssubstantially parallel to said measuring strip when positioned adjacentsaid strip for guiding longitudinal motion of the putter head along saidstrip.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein: said strip comprises ametallic ruler; and said connector comprises at least one magnet. 13.The system of claim 11, wherein said strip has a golf ball end having awidth, further comprising a visual reference connected to the golf ballend of said strip to help a golfer square the putting head, said visualreference having a width larger than the width of said strip.
 14. Thesystem of claim 13, wherein said guide member has a bottom surface, saidbottom surface having a recess for receiving part of the visualreference.
 15. The system of claim 11, further comprising a putter. 16.The system of claim 15, wherein said putter includes a putter headhaving a face for striking the golf ball and an alignment line thatextends transverse to the face of said putter head.
 17. The system ofclaim 16, further comprising a golf ball liner for marking at least onealignment line on the golf ball.
 18. The system of claim 17, whereinsaid measuring strip includes an alignment line extending along thelength of said strip for visually connecting the alignment line on saidputter head with an alignment line on the golf ball.
 19. The system ofclaim 11, further comprising a training accessory comprising at leastone of a golf ball liner, a wrist retention device, an arm separationdevice, a balance board, a putting rope, and a practice hole disc. 20.The system of claim 19, further comprising a putter.